Hayride accident injures nine, warrant out for Mich. tractor driver's arrest

(CBS) MILFORD, Mich. - A Highland Township man police say is to blame for a hayride accident that sent nine people to the hospital is wanted for arrest.

Passengers said the wagon was going too fast, but the driver blamed riders for how they were seated, CBS Detroit reported.

The 28-year-old driver, whose name hasn't been released, was steering a tractor pulling a wooden trailer that tipped over last Sunday at Camp Dearborn, in Milford.

According to a police report, he said the riders refused to stay seated and, against his instructions, congregated on one side of the wagon. But according to CBS Detroit, multiple witnesses told police that passengers were seated evenly on both sides and were not standing or moving around when the trailer tipped.

Police said the driver smelled of alcohol and eventually admitted to drinking beer, mixed drinks and a shot "off the clock" in the hours before the accident, "because it was his birthday."

A preliminary breath test administered at the scene revealed he had a blood alcohol content of .06 percent - below Michigan's legal limit of .08.

There were 16 people on aboard the trailer at the time of the accident. Nine adults were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. Other riders were treated at the scene.

Milford Police Chief Tom Lindberg said the warrant is for reckless driving, which is a misdemeanor. If convicted, the driver could face up to 93 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.

The tractor driver has been notified of the warrant and is expected to be arraigned within the next few days. His name will be released at that time.